Sony RX1 camera with full-frame sensor leaked

Sony could be set to launch another game changer of a camera in the shape of the Sony RX1 - which looks to be a compact camera with a full-frame image sensor.

While the company as a whole may not have been as profitable as it would have liked in recent years, you can't fault Sony's photographic division for effort or ambition. The NEX range has proved a huge success by squeezing a large APS-C image sensor into a series of relatively compact mirrorless cameras.

Meanwhile the fabulous Sony RX100 brought a decent-sized 1-inch CMOS sensor to an even more compact design, complete with a high quality fixed zoom lens.

You'd think Sony might stop there and consolidate its position with a bunch of iterations on these devices (indeed, the NEX series appears to be growing all the time), but this latest leak from the company has surprised everyone once again.

The Sony RX1 takes the whole compact camera concept to the next level, bringing a professional-standard full-frame sensor to a relatively small package. According to pictures shown on Photoprice.ca (via Engadget) the RX1 appears to pack a 35mm f/2.0 fixed lens. It also features a host of manual controls for things like aperture and exposure settings. There's also a nifty RX100-style pop-up flash as well as a regular hot shoe for additional accessories.

Of course, as with all full-frame cameras you can expect to pay a pretty penny for the Sony RX1 when it launches. This is not one for those casual holiday snaps or for traipsing through the mud at Glastonbury with - unless you're being paid for it.

It's being reported that Sony will launch the Sony RX1 - alongside a new addition to the NEX series, the NEX-6, among others - at a special event on September 12.